After the popular SiriusXM host went off the air last Wednesday with no explanation, loyal fans flooded social media with concerns that something happened to the 63-year-old host known for his incredible work ethic.

The truth is Stern, who has never taken a sick day in his 40-year radio career, had a cold.

“I don’t want to be here,” Stern said to open his show Monday morning. “I didn’t take a personal day, I took a sick day — and I’m still sick, you can still hear it in my voice.”

“Why was it such a big deal that I took a ... day off?” Stern continued. “I wanted to take off today because my voice is still shot, but I was afraid to. I felt so ... guilty. I missed a day of work and all of a sudden it’s bigger news than James Comey.”

Stern said fans did more than just flood social media and fill Reddit threads with conspiracy theories about what caused his sudden absence. The host revealed his mother received hundreds of phone calls trying to find out what happened to her son.